Brenner line closed for two weeks: Long-distance services between Innsbruck and Bolzano suspended

Already on Friday, before the official start of the main construction phase on Saturday, two of the five daily long-distance services were affected. The situation will therefore worsen significantly from the weekend, when the continuous route between Innsbruck and Bolzano can no longer be operated.

The measure is divided into two construction phases. In the first phase starting Saturday, entry to Brenner station is not possible because the Italian construction sites are blocking access. In this phase, all local trains will therefore only run to and from Gries am Brenner. A rail replacement service with buses will be set up between Steinach and Brenner.

Replacement service and diversion via the Tauern route

In the second phase from 23 July to 1 August, the section from Innsbruck to the Brenner Pass will also be closed for construction work. The rail replacement service will then run between Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof and Brenner station. Between the two provincial capitals of Innsbruck and Bolzano, buses will operate as rail replacement services starting Saturday.

ÖBB is using the time window for its own work. As stated, ÖBB is using the "maintenance window" for what it describes as "urgently required construction activities". Specifically, frost damage in the Mühltal tunnel is to be repaired, among other things. These ÖBB renovation works in turn result in restrictions on local services.

ÖBB uses the time window for its own renovations

Individual long-distance trains will, according to the railway, already be diverted on a wide scale via the Tauern route and Tarvisio from or to Wörgl Hauptbahnhof. This means that travellers heading to or from South Tyrol will have an alternative, albeit longer, route available. The diversion runs via Carinthia and the Italian town of Tarvisio.

The closure is part of a larger maintenance programme on the heavily used north-south axis. The Brenner Pass is one of the most important Alpine rail routes for passenger and freight traffic between Austria and Italy. The two-year pause is intended to be used to make the infrastructure fit for the upcoming travel season.

Travellers must prepare for significantly longer journey times. Anyone travelling between Innsbruck and Bolzano will have to switch to buses or accept the detour via the Tauern route. ÖBB recommends checking current connections before starting a journey.

According to ÖBB, the construction work on the Italian side is the main trigger for the closure. Only after the work is completed on 1 August is continuous long-distance service between Innsbruck and Bolzano to resume. Until then, the Brenner remains a construction site for long-distance rail services.